Are flea circus acts real? Mimi Garneu's was. Here Mimi makes her tiny troupe run through the act on her desk. The world's smallest slave labor! The film shows a competing group, but you get the idea. I once tied a fly to a piece of thread and he few around in circles, but I felt it cruel and let him go. Fleas, however, get no pass. Creepy little chiggers. At least Mimi knew how to control her infestation. Mimi was a sword swallower too. To see more information about the Amazing Mimi Garneau, see the book project on her HERE
The Yogi predicts Lenticular Love for Valentine's Day! Gazing into the crystal Ball reveals the prophetic picture change. "Moving" postcard published by the Yogi Company, Wheeling, WV.
Everyone needs a hobby. I collect snapshots of Scarecrows. Hard-working ephemeral folk art figures now replaced by poison insecticides and factory agriculture. An easier, more simple time here? No. The times were never easy and they never will be. See MORE at the link HERE
Can any blues song, or blues performance be called the best? There are many one could nominate, and you are welcome to suggest yours as a comment here. This is the story of a song which combines infidelity, deception, sex, humor, fear, impending violence, escape, neighborhood gossip and more in a few short lines. Who wrote it? Let's try to find out. This is the story of One Way Out.
One Way Out isn't even a traditional blues song, except for the first stanza.
Ain't but one way out baby, Lord I just can't go out the door Ain't but one way out baby, and Lord I just can't go out the door 'Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know
Lord you got me trapped a woman, up on the second floor If I get by this time I won't be trapped no more So raise your window baby, I can ease out soft and slow And Lord, your neighbors, no they won't be Talking that stuff that they don't know
Lord, I'm foolish to be here in the first place I know some man gonna walk in and take my place Ain't no way in the world, I'm going out that front door 'Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know 'Cause there's a man down there, might be your man I don't know The most familiar version is, of course, the Allman Brothers. Recorded and released numerous times, and a stalwart of the brother's live performances for 40 years. Likely brought to the band by Duane "Skydog" Allman. The track here comes from the last night of a four night stand recorded for their Live at the Fillmore Lp in June 1971 with Tom Dowd at the controls (?) This version is selected as Duane was alive, though not to be for long…and the interplay with co-lead guitarist Dickey Betts is outstanding. Duane regularly appears on "top ten greatest guitar player" lists, but on each one he should be bumped up a few notches.
Duane's brother Gregg Allman once said the phrase "southern rock" is redundant." He is right, and it is one of my favorite rock and roll quotes. Mr. Allman often says a great, great deal with few words.
On the Allman Brothers releases, One Way Out is credited to Marshall Sehorn and Elmore James. Sehorn was a musician who became southern promotion man for the Fire and Fury labels. He put his name on Elmore's recording.
Common practice then…and theft. Sehorn would eventually receive songwriting credit (and the royalty payments) for over 350 songs recorded in the 1960s. He went on to form a company with Allen Toussaint, helping the the Neville Brothers obtain a recording contract and recording numerous New Orleans legendary musicians. As this story is aimed at blues listeners…he also claimed writing credits with Lightnin Hopkins. Here is Sehorn, a fellow who LOOKS like an adulterer who might skulk out a second floor window, but not really a bluesman. He didn't write it. By the way, Dickie Betts, who had to take the place of a very young Duane Allman at a very young age....is no slouch either.
The Elmore James version of One Way Out is a screech with a fingered solo…no slide (!!!) and a saxophone. He recorded it in 1961 but it didn't get released until two years after Elmore passed away. I believe it first appeared on The Sky is Crying Lp, and it was also released the same year as a single.
I believe it is most likely Sonny Boy Wiliamson who should be credited with the song. It is a clever lyric, and Sonny boy was clever. He recorded two versions, the first in 1961 and again in 1965. Sonny was also not bound by tradition. If he wanted his blues song to read like a poem, a sonnet or a speech it was his right, and he is usually considered one of the most poetic writers of blues songs. Here, it is Chess Records house-writer Willie Dixon who sneaks his name onto the label.
G. L. Crockett's version of the song in 1965 gives it a primitive, swampy sound. A little King Bee, a little Jimmy Reed. G.L. Crockett was Chicago-based, and his real initials were G. T. Crockett. Why the change? Typo? The label didn't care much. He also recorded as "G. Davy Crockett (!) He claims authorship!
Likewise, Duster Bennett recorded as It's a Man Down There, He credits the song to Crockett and speaks a bit of the song. Duster was a British blues singer, so we might say he apes his way through the song. Needless to say he didn't write it. Duster Passed away in 1978 when his Ford van collided with a truck after doing a gig with Memphis Slim.
Jimmy Reed recorded an ANSWER SONG(!) titled I'm the Man Down There in which he dares the man upstairs to use the stairs! Jimmy wants to kick your ass, but in real life his wife was tougher than he was…and she's upstairs busy.
"I'm the man down there, boy
Don't you come down those stairs".
I am willing to bet there were some 1960s garage band versions and many African-American Chitlin Circuit versions of the song too.
There was truly only one way out, at least for Elmore…and Stefan Wirz shows it on his Elmore James discography HERE.
How would you like to draw literally hundreds of unique faces on one piece of cardboard, then spill your coffee on it? Well, it could be water damage or foxing, I suppose. Still, this piece is something of a cartoonist tour de force. Go ahead, count them. Each person is about an inch square. I particularly like the man in a Welder's mask, and you will see that bastard Shickelgruber here too. These were drawn by a soldier in 1944. While the figures are small, the last scan here shows the entire group.
Early pulp entertainment for the masses (and for those on streetcars, wagons and trains.) It's the Dime Novel! Surprisingly thick and with plenty of multi-syllable words. Back in 1910, it seems the junk populace was smarter than we are now. I don't know much about these...and I am certainly not going to read any. These novels are dense! I do know "The Old Sleuth" was a young guy who dressed up as an old bald guy to solve crimes, but I am not sure why. The world's first geriatric superhero! I guess at the scene of a crime, he would duck into the nearest saloon or haberdashery and paste on his wispy beard. Group of dime novels, now a dollar each! Artists unidentified and frequently written by hacks. Collection Jim Linderman, but maybe I'll recycle them. This is prime pulp.
Antique Folk Art Sculpture Sewer Tile Man with a Feather in his Cap (and what appears to be his boss's head in his hand) End of Day Work, usually items like this were produced after a long day. In this case, the worker may be taking revenge on his boss. Circa 1900 Collection Jim Linderman Dull Tool Dim Bulb
The most sexist paperback cover in history. Battle of the Sexes. While censors were chasing down producers of soft-core pinups and underground erotica publishers. CRAP like this was churned out by major publishers (AVON) and displayed on revolving book displays in stores and anywhere paperbacks were sold. In fact, Avon books were described as "mass market" which means you didn't have to skulk into a men's bookstore to purchase it. Circa 1955. While his name doesn't appear on my copy, the Cumulative Paperback Index 1939-1959 lists this as one of a dozen books by Charles Preston. Other "joke" books he edited include A Cartoon Guide to the Kinsey Report and Pets - Including Women (also stinkers) but not as graphic as Battle of the Sexes. Although on the cover of Pets, he does show a bloated millionaire-type treating a woman like a dog.
Battle of the Sexes looks like a serial killer's nightstand reading. Apparently Mr. Preston moved on to become cartoon editor for the Wall Street Journal. It also looks like when billionaire right winger Rupert Murdoch bought the Wall Street Journal, he bumped Preston's cartoon column to the back pages...certainly not because he has good taste. He did it to make more money.
Below are a few other clunkers attributed to Charles Preston. GOSH these gags are riotous...not. At the same time, the Humorama line published by Timely features ruled the newsstands for dirty comics. They may not have been "America's Leading cartoonists" but they sure were better.
